Great Story of Grace and Forgiveness

I never read Brennan Manning's most popular book, "The Ragamuffin Gospel."  Now, after reading this book, I think I'll have to go back and read his earlier work.  Manning died in April of this year, so this is his last work.

The Prodigal: A Ragamuffin Story centers on a pastor named Jack Chisholm.  Jack was the pastor of a mega church.  He was called the  "the people's pastor" and brought in 4,000 people to worship and even more watching him on television.  He was famous and popular.  He had written several books and was known for his saying, "We have got to do better!"

Now, he's lost.  Everything he worked for is gone.  He was feeling completely lost, he had lost his wife, his daughter, and his church.  Everything which was important to Jack is gone.  He was drinking and ended up committing adultery with his personal assistant, Sally.

Jack is lost and alone, and now he comes in contact with his estranged father.  His father was dead to Jack.  However, his father, Tom Chisholm, is terminally ill, and wants to have a relationship with Jack.  He calls his son home.  Thinking about his father causes Jack to become angrier and angrier.  He had not spoken to his father in over 10 years.  His memories are mixed.  There are great and terrible memories.

So that I don't ruin the story, and you can picture how the story unfolds, I would encourage you to read it, and see the grace and forgiveness that is available and accepted.

This is an excellent book, with the only caveat being the fact that drinking while being one aspect of Jack's sin is used on a fairly regular basis in the book.

I received this book free of charge, in exchange for an honest review.




This is a wonderfully written book with a strong message of love, grace, and forgiveness - a story that could shape the hearts and minds of many. 4 star rating and I highly recommend.